688 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION I. 



the following figures point to a large amount of credit being due to 

 the system: — In 1871 the population was 300,000 and in 1901 

 5;U,000, and the number of inhabitants served by the vacuum or 

 Liernur system went up from to 200,000. 



In 1871 the death rate was 33-21 per 1,000. 



., 1901 „ „ „ 1515 



Each of the systems here referred to has another enormous 

 advantage over the old system of w^ater carriage, and that is, that 

 the work can be done in sections and proved as it prpgresses, whereas 

 when large underground sewers have to be built the system cannot 

 be tried until the whole work is completed, when, as was the case in 

 two large cities, it may be found a huge failure. 



To localise the point, Clayfield could be sewered on the vacuum 

 system, and the treatment tank placed down the river, say at 

 Myrtletown, and could form one or more of a series of tanks to be 

 added after the system had proved a success, all suitable additions 

 being made -without disturbing the cxis|ting plant. The words 

 " suitable additions" being used advisedly, as the adoption of septic 

 tanks makes it absolutely unnecessary that all the sew-age of a large 

 town should be treated at one spot, and, as in the case of Toowong 

 and South Brisbane, each could have its own treatment tanks and 

 operate the small amount of machinery required by electricity, and 

 so reduce the labour at each station to one man and save the cost 

 of conveying the sewage all the way to Myrtletow^n for treatment. 



In conclusion, it may be pointed out that, while there are 

 many groups of houses around Brisbane that would be exceedingly 

 costly to connect with a large system of gravitation sewers, there are 

 no parts that could not be connected by either of the two systems 

 referred to, at a comparatively low cost. 



3.— THE PREVENTION OF INFANTILE MORTALITY. 



By B. BURNETT HAM, M.D.. D.P.H., HcaUh Officer, Queensland. 



The tale of infantile mortality — the modem slaughter of the 

 innocents — is an oft-told one. It has been told and retold by sani- 

 tarians and medical men in almost every country of the world. All 

 authorities are agreed that it is one of the gravest problems with 

 which we in this 20th century have to deal. 



References to the mortality records of Registrars-General in 

 various countries show that the mortality of infants — that is, of 

 children under 1 year of age — is absolutely appalling, and that it 

 does not decrease with the progress of civilisation in the same ratio 

 as the mortality from other preventable diseases. 



Infantile mortality is perhaps the most important medical and 

 social problem of the age. It is a standing reproach to our much- 

 vaunted civilisation. It is not altogether unreasonable to expect that 

 public health administration would have a mtarked influence in 

 reducing infantile mortality to what may, under present circum- 

 stances, be regarded as a normal standard. 



" To those engaged in the work of preventive medicine the con- 

 tinuance of a high rate of infantile mortality, in spite of the great 



